Written in early 2021 for my introductory creative writing workshop course. Some of the formatting change from copying the story onto this wix blog post. See the attached PDF for the intended formatting.
Curtain Call by Miles Michell
Stage Index
("...") = speaking more directly to the audience
* Beat *, Pause in time
Miles : Hi my name is Miles Michell and I would like to tell a story, let me set the stage.
* A toddler runs on stage that vaguely resembles Miles*
* Miles points to the toddler *
Miles : That ... is me. I know spectacular right! Just your typical adolescent white city boy: colorful Sketcher sneakers, wears exclusively cargo shorts, helicopter parents; the whole shabang! But what truly sets Miles apart from his other peers is that he never had a friend. (Spoiler alert that won't really happen until high school). It's not like he was an asshole or anything to his classmates. You know he used to smile a lot because he didn't know how else to come off as friendly. His teachers and mother thought it was endearing and sweet and they gave him the nickname Miles-smiles. His jaw was constantly sore. Take this scene from the first grade playground if you will.
*Brennan walks on stage playing with a ball*
* Younger Miles has been dozing off, occasionally fidgeting with his fingers and the lint in his pocket, until he notices Brennan and begins to make a large half-toothed full grin *
* Beat *
* Younger Miles starts to approach, and Brennan notices *
Brennan : Stop making that face at me!
Younger Miles : What no I wasn't! I was not making a face at you!
Brennan : You're weird!
* Brennan walks offstage never to be seen again as he transferred out of my elementary school the next year *
Miles : (It is a shame that my smile method did not work, he always had cool Pokemon cards). What seemed to be Miles's problem in making friends is that Miles lived in Miles World. Everything that made a semblance of impression on him would be looped back constantly for his own enjoyment creating his own universe, this came in the form of cartoon clips or random sounds that were strange yet cool. He wanted to bring other people, but the awkward smile method did not work so he's shit out of luck! But for some reason, random adults at his school were interested in Miles World. Ones who were never there during math tables or teacher reading times, just there to pry open his world (usually during recess since I got in trouble if I dozed off during class).
He remembers when it first happened in that same first grade year. Recess had just started and Miles's world was filling with the first cool sound he fixated on, usually it was something from his mother's favorite new wave station.
* Young Miles has been dosed off like previously until he starts running around screaming The Police's Roxanne in the way that he heard it *
Younger Miles : Rocks and! Put up a red line! Rock sand! Put upa re lie! Da Daaa! Hhun da da da la!
* Nameless teacher comes in *
Teacher : Hi Miles! My name is nameless! Would you like to come with me?
* Younger Miles is disappointed and confused *
Younger Miles : Sure okay ...
Teacher : Don't worry you'll be back soon.
* Teacher starts leading Miles towards a room *
Miles : This happened nearly every week of elementary school. This teacher would take Miles out of his world into a white room with blank walls, a single table, and two chairs, a chair smaller than the ones in my classroom for him and an office chair for the teacher. The blinds were shut and the humming of LEDs was noticeable.
* Young Miles squeezes himself into the chair and they both sit *
Teacher : Okay I'm going to have you answer some questions and can you tell me what you think about it? Young Miles : okay ...
* Young Miles responded while not making eye contact and began knocking his knees against the table *
Teacher: So James has a blue ball and gives it to Fred, who now has the ... [inaudible]
Miles : By the time this was over, Miles missed the class after recess. He never understood why he was taken away from his comfort zone to answer all these boring easy questions. Sometimes these types of probing activities seeped into his life at home
Teacher : Okay with this mouse and computer you're gonna click these shapes in order as they appear. Like this.
*The teacher clicked a series of shapes as they appeared each making a different sound to indicate they've be pressed *
*Bing Sound *
* Bang Sound *
* Bong Sound *
Young Miles : I have a computer at home
Miles : He did in fact have a computer at home and was fully capable of using it, probably better than most of his classmates at the time. Teacher : That's very good, now do this for a while.
* Teacher exits off stage, as Young Miles starts clicking the series of shapes making sounds *
*Bing**Bang**Bong*
*Bing**Bing**Bong*
* Time passes but Young Miles is still having to use this program *
*Bang**Bang**Bing*
* Beat *
*Bing**Bong**Bing*
* Beat *
*Club Penguin Pizzeria Mini Game Sounds start playing from the computer*
*Ashley comes on stage*
Ashley : Miles, stop playing the video and do your program!
Miles : But mooomm I've been doing it all day and it's summer now and it's not school! Ashley : You missed doing it yesterday and you still have to do it.
Miles : But whyyy?
Ashley : Because I said so.
* Young Miles grumbles and continues the matching program, as Ashley exits the stage *
*Bing**Bang**Bong*
* Time passes again Young Miles is still having to use this program *
*Bing**Bing**Bong*
*Bing*
* Beat *
*Bing*
*Bing**Bing*
* Beat *
*Bing**Bing**Bing**Bing**Bing**Bing**Bing**Bing**Bing**Bing**Bing**Bing**Bing**Bing**Bing**Bing**Bing**Bing**Bing**Bing*
* Nameless teacher rushes on stage *
Teacher : What the hell are you doing!!?
* Young Miles jumps in his seat * Young Miles : It makes a sound.
Teacher : That's not what you're supposed to be doing!!!!
* The Teacher yanks the computer mouse from Young Miles's hand *
* Beat *
Teacher : You may go now Miles.
* Nameless teacher exits the stage, and tears start to fall down Young Miles's cheek *
Miles : (At this point I had the eight-year-old thought equivalent of, wow, what a bitch). Miles never understood the purpose of these activities and why people were writing down things after he responded to what they asked. He understood the questions, did they not? He understood his world, why did everyone else not? Miles was in desperate need of finding a way that he can express himself. And then by perfect timing or fate, acting came into his life.
* Mrs. Britt, the theater teacher at Younger Miles's elementary school, walks on stage *
Mrs. Britt : Acting is all about pretending to be someone else while showing what's special about yourself.
* Young Miles responds nearly cutting off his teacher *
Young Miles : How?
Mrs. Britt : Well, what's your favorite movie?
Young Miles : Star Wars! Star Wars is my favorite movie!
Mrs. Britt : Awesome! You know Luke Skywalker, he was an actor and he acted very strong and brave. Young Miles : He was a actor?!! I want to be one!
Mrs. Britt : Great! Now pretend to be Luke trying to save his friends!
* Young Miles runs around the stage impersonating lightsaber sounds, laser blasts, and one-liners from Star Wars *
Mrs. Britt : Amazing Miles, your acting is super good! You make a great warrior!
Young Miles : I am Luke Skywalker!
* Mrs. Britt walks off stage *
Miles : Miles was cast as Puss and Boots for the annual spring performance that year. He only had one line but it was such a fun experience. Expressing himself through performance felt so natural and freeing to him. His acting role filled his world during performance, and people did not try to judge or study him for living in it. He looked forward to being a part of the annual play each year as it allowed him to live in two worlds that he felt welcomed in.
* Young Miles walks off stage, a thirteen-year-old boy who is roughly the same height as Miles but has the same appearance as Young Miles *
Miles : Then puberty struck!
* Miles points to Adolescent Miles, thunder crashes *
Miles : That is also me, shocker right! Pretty much the exact same as the other guy but he's taller and everything sucks! Welcome to the real world! He started to notice the strange aspects about himself, and even worse people were more vocal about,
* Adolescent Miles recites lines to himself from his new role as the police officer for the school's performance of Annie *
* Two girls around the same age as Adolescent Miles walk on stage, they notice him, one whispers to the other then walks towards Adolescent Miles *
Adolescent Girl : Heeey, Miles
* Adolescent Miles is startled, and then starts to smirk *
Miles : (Notice how I perfected the awkward smile method to be less forced, toothy, and awkward. That's some real character development).
Adolescent Miles : Hi
Miles : He had seen her face around campus but never remembered her name, Names were always hard in the real world.
Adolescent Girl : I heard you were into theater and that's so sexy.
Adolescent Miles : Oh uh thank you ...
Adolescent Girl : We should date.
Adolescent Miles : uhhh uh sure okay
* She winks and walks back towards her friend, and they both start howling with laughter *
Adolescent Miles : What's so funny?
Adolescent Girl : You're so weird and stupid.
Adolescent Miles : No ...
Adolescent Girl : Yeah you are. You do weird shit during recess, like I'd ever date you!!
* They continue laughing as they walk off stage *
Miles : So sad the eight grade girls bullying seven grade Miles (looking back this is just silly). Acting was a great escape from this reality but it wasn't enough. Teenage angst pushed him closed in, neither living in the real world or his own. In the quietness he made convictions about himself.
* Ashley and her friend walk on stage bantering as middle-aged ladies do *
* Ashley notices me *
Ashley : There's my little Miles-smiles, come say hi!!
* Adolescent Miles Turns his head towards the wall. *
Adolescent Miles : uhhh hi
Ashley : Miles, eye contact.
* Adolescent Miles Turns his head towards Ashley's Friend *
Adolescent Miles : Sorry, hi.
Ashley's Friend : That's okay honey. I've missed you! Your mom has been telling me how good your play was last week.
Adolescent Miles : it was okay ...
Ashley's Friend : I hope I can come in and see your play at your new high school next year.
Adolescent Miles : oh ... but I don't think I'm going to be in theatre anymore.
Both : What?
Ashley : But you're so good!
Adolescent Miles : No I'm not, I just get cast as minor characters and say a single line.
* Beat *
Ashley : Excuse us for a moment
* Ashley pulls Adolescent Miles aside *
Ashley : What's going on? Is everything alright!
Adolescent Miles : Things have just been hard lately, I'm nervous about moving schools, and I just feel like I'm bad at acting. Even for my last year of theater at the elementary school I got casted as the butler.
Ashely : Miles I can assure you that you're good.
Adolescent Miles : But I always get the throwaway roles, I'll never go far with acting
Ashley : We can talk about this later. And Miles, please be more respectful to my friend.
Adolescent Miles : Sure okay ...
* Ashely returns to her friend and they banter while walking off stage *
Miles : And so freshman year started and Miles passed auditions. He had almost gone through missing his first annual school acting performance opportunity ... almost. But by fate or break in reality opportunity presented itself to continue his passion,
*Mr. Miley and Shinwoo enter on stage *
Miles : It was a typical weekday and English class had just ended. Miles and his soon-to-be great friend are one of the last ones to file out.
Mr. Miley : Hey Miles, do you have a moment?
Adolescent Miles : Yeah, sure
Mr. Miley : So I was talking with the theater director for Macbeth and he was telling me how one of the actors cannot continue his role and there's room for a replacement. You've mentioned in your writing that you used to act and I think it would be a great opportunity for you to audition.
Shinwoo : Oh yeah this guy named Nic got a concussion can't act any more, but you should join if you're into acting. He didn't have a huge role so it'll be easy to pick up.
Adolescent Miles : Do you think I could do it?
Shinwoo : Oh yeah, if you've done acting before you'll be fine it's a really funky show, your one of the few charters that survives at the end.
*Mr. Miley and Shinwoo exit from stage right*
Miles : And just like that Miles was back in. He doesn't exactly know why he felt drawn back, maybe it was Shinwoo's genuine friendliness or the sheer amount of coincidences lined up. The show wrapped up and Miles had a lot of fun, but something expected happened along the way.
* Zach, Shinwoo, Katie, and Logan enter onto the stage *
Logan : That was a great performance everyone, are y'all down to hang out at my place for a bit! Zach, Katie, and Shinwoo : Heck yeah, I'm down!
Logan : Are you able to come Miles?
Adolescent Miles : I can come?!
Logan : Of course!
Zach : You're a great actor and you're really cool, my dude!
Katie : I can give you a ride if you need one!
Adolescent Miles : That would be much appreciated!
* They all exit off stage leaving Miles *
Miles : For the first time I had finally been accepted by a group of people who accepted me for who I am. no probing questions, no visual judge, just love and community. The two worlds were alive again but the lines between them were blurred. I no longer have to act to impress others around me. I felt whole.
Miles : But not all good things last forever. Sometimes more unpopular aspects of my world seep through unexpectedly. It felt like old times.
* Coworker walks on stage *
* I'm washing the dishes, while she's on break *
* She begins to stare at me for a second *
Coworker : You're making a face.
Miles : Oh, I was?!
Coworker : Yes, please stop it's weird.
* Beat *
* Coworker walks off stage *
Miles : On top of that, a ton of the people in the amazing theatre friend group were years older than me. It was disheartening to see the group fizzle out. It was a reminder that in a few months I would essentially have to relive freshman year of high school in finding a new accepting community. I started my last year of high school with the goal of making as many good friends as possible, to semi gauge what my freshman college experience would be like, it did not go well.
* My counselor Gail walks in with two office chairs, and sits down in hers *
* Miles walks up to Gail *
Miles : Hi, mind if I visit with you for a bit. Gail : No problem, what's on your mind!
* Miles sits down *
Miles : Well I feel lonely this year and I feel scared about what is going to happen next year.
Gail : Having trouble making new friends?
Miles : Yes!
Gail : Miles, I wouldn't beat yourself over it you're a busy senior.
Miles : I know but I wish I had some people to hang out with on my off days, or someone I can reliably talk to.
Gail : Have you tried some of the advice I we talked about,
Miles : No and I don't think it will work. I'm so weird and awkward sometimes and I can't control it. It never felt like I could control it. Like I know we've worked through some methods to help with my dyslexia which helped me speak to people more naturally. But just I don't know what else is wrong with me,
* Break *
Gail : Miles, I know you've expressed to me that you were not crazy with the type of test they made you do in Elementary School, but would you like to be interested in a test diagnostic of ASD?
Miles : What's that?
Gail : [Inaudible]
* Gail exits the stage *
Miles : It all made sense now. From the strange matching tests, to the anger and confusion, to even the fixation to performing arts. All my life I was being to act like myself but myself wasn't me, My counselor and I assessed the results and came up with a plan for next year. It's funny when she commented how I acted very under the radar. I was ready for college.
The End!
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